Sharpshooter arrested for murder of Gzb BJP leader

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police have arrested a sharpshooter who was involved in the murder of a BJP leader Gajendra Singh Bhati in Khoda area of Ghaziabad.

The arrested has been identified as Narendra Gurjar alias Fauji who had been a personal security officer (PSO) of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Amar Pal Sharma. The accused has confessed that he was hired by Sharma to kill Gajendra on September 2, said police.

"The arrest was made from Koyal Enclave area on Sunday evening. We have interrogated Fauji upon which he revealed that Sharma was to pay him Rs 10 lakh for the murder and had given Rs 50,000 advance from which Fauji kept half of the amount and gave Rs 25,000 to his another accomplice Raju Pehalwan who arranged a pistol for him that was used in the crime," said H N Singh, Senior Superintendent of police, Ghaziabad.

"The accused has also told police that Sharma asked him to murder Bhati while he was present in the Khoda area and was busy in meeting people on Eid celebrations. The motive of the murder has been established as a political rivalry. Fauji has been nabbed and other two accused are on the run. The police teams are conducting raids to nab them," added Singh.

Police have also recovered a white-colored TVS Apache motorcycle and a 0.30mm pistol that were used in the crime. A case under IPC sections 307, 320, 120B and 34 has been registered against the accused in Khoda police station.

The heinous crime took place on September 2. Bhati was shot dead in Khoda area and his other colleague travelling with him on same motorcycle also suffered bullet injuries in the incident. Following which, Gajendra Bhati's brother Yogesh Bhati lodged a complaint, alleging that the former Bahujan Samaj Party legislator, who is now in the Congress, was behind the murder.

However, Sharma denied any involvement in Bhati's murder and said he was being victimized and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe. But with the confession of the arrested accused police will now nab Sharma who made the master plan of Bhati's killing.